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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23432212">Barely Catching Our Breath</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumblesnom/pseuds/Bumblesnom'>Bumblesnom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Promare (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Gueira/Meis (Promare), Post-Canon, building a bed together, discussion of trauma, mature themes, they suck at building furniture, they’re both overwhelmed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:55:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23432212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumblesnom/pseuds/Bumblesnom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>‘There were three main issues that still plagued them:</p><p>1) The ex-burnish were still disproportionately without shelter, regardless of all of their efforts to keep the system fair.<br/>2) There was still a large group of non-burnish who saw the most notorious members of Mad Burnish, Lio, Meis and Gueira, as a threat to public safety.<br/>3) Kray Foresight still hadn’t gone to trial.</p><p>As much as the first two issues caused problems for Lio on the daily, it was the third that kept him up at night. He knew it kept Galo up too.’</p><p>When Kray’s trial is finally given a start date after two years, Galo and Lio have to navigate the pain that old wounds can cause. No matter what, they’re determined to pull through it together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Overworked and Overwhelmed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been two years. Two long, tiring years of hard work that seemed to be never-ending. Two years of no sleep, working from sunrise to sunset and beyond. Two years of hope. Two years of love.</p>
<p>To say they’d been busy would be an understatement; from clearing the wreckage left behind from both the crash of the Parnassus, removing the scorched remains of the city in general and beginning work on rebuilding, there was rarely a moment in which there wasn’t anything that needed their immediate attention. Burning Rescue alongside other emergency units took responsibility for leading most of the cleanup efforts, the numerous mechs at their disposal making good work of the heavy lifting, even if their original purpose was for fighting fire. <br/>
<br/>
They’d been lucky, for the most part. Burning Rescue HQ was in good shape, giving the team a base to plan their recovery from. It had been a long and complicated process to get to where they were today, and though they were still far from going back to ‘business as usual’, the city was finally functioning again with most of its existing residents rehomed.</p>
<p>Despite this, Galo and Lio were still yet to slow down. Galo kept busy with his continued efforts to help recover the city as well as attending to fires and other emergencies across the city that required Burning Rescue’s assistance. </p>
<p>Lio on the other hand was still coordinating shelter for the former burnish, as well as helping to reintegrate them into society with access to education and employment. With the help of the ex-burnish who were in the best condition to help, including Meis and Gueira, they’d managed to make a lot of progress but three major issues still plagued them:</p>
<p> </p><ol>
<li>The ex-burnish were still disproportionately without shelter, regardless of all of their efforts to keep the system fair.</li>
<li>There was still a large group of non-burnish who saw the most notorious members of Mad Burnish, Lio, Meis and Gueira, as a threat to public safety.</li>
<li>Kray Foresight still hadn’t gone to trial.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>As much as the first two issues caused problems for Lio on the daily, it was the third that kept him up at night. He knew it kept Galo up too. </p>
<p>It felt like an injustice, a way of delaying the inevitable but the pair of them knew it was simply because they’d been too busy to hold a fair trial. A trial in which all of his actions could be considered, where those most affected could testify but most importantly where they could take their time. They needed to assess the full extent of the damage and hold a preliminary investigation in order to expose how deep his scheme ran. So, as much as both Galo and Lio wanted to see him atone for his crimes as soon as possible, they also wanted him to face the full judgement of what he did even if it meant they had to wait even longer.</p>
<p>Besides the unending work and lingering stress, there was, however, a ray of light. </p>
<p>It had become clear from the moment they co-piloted the Galo de Lion and set the world ablaze together that Galo and Lio shared a deep connection with each other. In fact, Lio could swear he’d felt that pull towards Galo when he first fought him on the rooftop of Foresight Pharmaceuticals. It was why he was so disappointed at his ignorant remarks about the burnish eating until it became increasingly clear that the man was truly naive to the corruption unfolding before him. Something within him told him he could trust Galo, that he wasn’t the same as those who wanted to see the burnish suffer. He couldn’t have been more relieved to be right.</p>
<p>They fell into their relationship as though it came naturally to them. </p>
<p>Even though they both worked odd hours that often led to them going days without seeing each other despite sharing an apartment, when they found the opportunity to just fall into bed together and sleep in each other's arms they knew they’d both found exactly where they belonged. Quiet minutes spent wrapped in warmth and comfort sharing small smiles and the softest of kisses was the closest Lio had ever come to that yearned for feeling of home. No matter how tired he was, the second he locked eyes with Galo’s burning blue the ache that lay deep in his bones seemed to ebb away only to be replaced with an overwhelming feeling of calm. Lio wasn’t used to it, not even two years later.</p>
<p>Now, standing in the present following a long day of paperwork and frustrated phone calls Lio could retire to that bliss. He threw his keys onto the kitchen counter as he walked into the apartment, barely sparing a moment to kick off his shoes and remove his jacket before stumbling into the bedroom. It wasn’t easy attempting to peel off leather pants after a full day of wear whilst also trying to remain as quiet as possible. Galo may be a heavy sleeper but Lio was taking no chances when it came to accidentally waking him up, especially when he knew sleep was hard to come by for the pair of them. </p>
<p>Once he was finally free of his clothes, Lio yawned and slipped into bed. As much as he desperately needed to shower and take some time for self care, he was already struggling to keep his eyes open. So after leaning into the warmth of his boyfriend and brushing a soft kiss to his temple, Lio drifted off into an easy slumber.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Galo woke up to the shrill sound of his alarm. Before he could even produce a conscious thought, still gripping onto the edges of sleep, his arm instinctively reached to hush the alarm before it could wake Lio up too. As was typical of their current setup, he only knew that his boyfriend had made it home to catch some rest from the slender arm that was draped loosely around his waist and the warm puffs of breath that kissed his back every few seconds. Though he hated how little he got to see him awake recently, so long as he still got to wake up in his arms he’d be content until they could finally settle down into a regular routine. </p>
<p>Finding the strength to open his eyes, Galo grabbed his phone to check the time. Suppressing the urge to groan as the screen lit up to reveal that it was 5am, Galo carefully slipped from the bed and away from Lio’s warmth. He spared a moment to gaze at the blonde’s face, features soft with sleep though the persistent bags that rest beneath his eyes betrayed to show his true exhaustion. </p>
<p>Galo quickly dressed and grabbed his burning rescue jacket and phone before dropping a soft kiss to Lio’s head. Sparing a final glance at those soft features, Galo smiled sweetly and tiptoed out the room, gently closing the door behind him.</p>
<p>Still tired from his lack of sleep and early awakening, Galo decided he’d deal with breakfast at the station. He grabbed his own set of keys from the counter and placed Lio’s boots where they belonged at the door after he’d carelessly kicked them off earlier and made his way out of the apartment to retrieve his bike. Sticking the keys into the ignition, the bike roared to life and soon Galo was racing through the empty morning streets of Promepolis. </p>
<p>Only Aina and Ignis were at the station when Galo arrived, talking quietly over coffee. With his burning soul finally beginning to reignite with energy, Galo threw a wide smile onto his face as he approached them to pour himself a cup of coffee and scavenge something for breakfast.</p>
<p>“Morning guys!” Galo cheered, attempting to sound as enthusiastic as he could with the lingering exhaustion that seemed to loosen its grip on him with every sip of coffee. Ignis greeted him subdued in response and left for his office. Aina faced him, an unimpressed look on her face as she struggled to gather the same level of passion before the sun had even risen.</p>
<p>“How are you <em> this </em> happy when it’s still ass o’clock in the morning?” Groaning, Aina stretched and sighed in relief when her back popped back into alignment. Her words held no real bite, though she did rub her temples at the sheer volume of Galo’s voice echoing throughout the station before her coffee had been given a chance to work its magic.</p>
<p>“My burning soul never sleeps, Aina! Just because I’m tired doesn’t mean I’m not ready to give this day my all.” Moving over to the table, Galo sank down into one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs and motioned for Aina to join him. “How’re you holding up? Varys told me you went to see your sister yesterday.” </p>
<p>Aina sighed and tightened her hair, trying to keep her hands occupied.</p>
<p>“I’ve been better, though things are nowhere near as tense as they used to be between us. I guess when all of this ended a part of me thought we could just continue as if nothing had changed but it’s not that easy,” she eyes lifted to lock with Galo’s, expression determined, “however, she’s still my sister, that’s the same at least.”</p>
<p>Galo smiled kindly, nodding in understanding.</p>
<p>“You’ve both been through a lot. Healing takes a lot more time than any of us could have ever expected,” he paused and rubbed the back of his neck, “but I’m glad you guys are trying your hardest to maintain your relationship. I know how important she is to you.” </p>
<p>“Thanks Galo,” Aina smiled appreciatively. “So, how are things with Lio?” A mischievous grin broke out onto her face, replacing the sincere tone of their conversation with a playful one. “Are your schedules still woefully misaligned?” She giggled.</p>
<p>“Don’t make fun of my misery,” Galo wailed, “things are great between us, we just can’t catch a break.” He crossed his arms childishly and pushed his lips out into a pout. “We both work such long shifts. When he gets home I’m already asleep and when I wake up he’s only just gone to bed a couple hours prior. Is it too much to ask to spend time with my boyfriend when one of us <em> isn’t </em>unconscious?”</p>
<p>“Maybe if you weren’t both massive workaholics you wouldn’t be in this situation,” laughing teasingly, Aina tipped back in her chair and steadied her legs atop the table, ankles crossed casually. “We’ve told you countless times that you can take a day off once in a while, we’ve got you covered. Some days I think Ignis is one step away from throwing you out of the station and forcing you to get some sleep.” Aina continued to rock precariously on the back legs, daring Galo to justify his unhealthy work habits but with no real threat.</p>
<p>“I take days off!” He defended, interrupting Aina as she opened her mouth to protest. “Just because I take them rare enough to count them on one hand doesn’t mean they don’t count. Plus that only solves half the problem! Lio’s work isn’t as easy to get a day off from as mine is. If he has to work then I’d rather be here helping than moping around at the apartment waiting for him to come home.” </p>
<p>“Then all I can suggest is that you stop sleeping otherwise there aren’t enough hours in the day,” she rolled her eyes, “you idiots need to look after yourselves more.”</p>
<p>“Who’s being an idiot?” Lucia called as she walked into the kitchenette alongside the rest of Burning Rescue. </p>
<p>“Galo and Lio.” Aina deadpanned over Galo’s cry of ‘no one’.</p>
<p>“Ahh, still not getting laid?” The blonde cackled. Sharp teeth pulled into a dangerous grin as she watched Galo turn bright red. He spluttered, betrayed that his entire team seemed to be in on the joke of his and Lio’s misfortune.  </p>
<p>“I’m glad <em> somebody </em> is getting enjoyment out of my pain,” Galo grumbled, flopping his head onto the table. “And for your information we-”</p>
<p>Suddenly the alarms blared. The team broke into a run and climbed into their equipment, soon speeding off towards whatever emergency had called for their assistance. Their conversation was instantly forgotten as their jobs took priority. Galo could only hope that nobody decided to bring his personal life back up again when they got back to the station. </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was midday when Ignis pulled him aside.</p>
<p>His face held its usual stoic expression, though there was something in the crease of his eyebrow that gave Galo an uneasy feeling. They both sat in his office, Ignis sat across from Galo and folded his hands onto his desk. After taking a moment to steel himself, Ignis sighed softly.</p>
<p>“They’ve decided on a start date for Kray’s trial. They’re going to inform the public later but I was told to warn you in advance. It will begin on the 12th” </p>
<p>Galo’s heart stopped beating. </p>
<p>The room was silent, nothing but the weak pant of Galo’s breath was audible as the world began to crash around him. He should be happy. He should be rejoicing that the monster that had been lurking in his closet for years was finally being purged and facing justice. Only, instead it felt like the monster had broken free of its shackles and started wreaking havoc on Galo’s brain, uprooting all the peace he’d managed to find within himself over the past 2 years and setting it alight. </p>
<p>“Thanks for telling me sir, this is kinda a lot to process”. He struggled to speak, his voice coming out broken and unsure. Flashes of neon pink and blue filled his mind, pink eyes gleaming with terror as screams echoed through his head. Lio. He needed to tell Lio.</p>
<p>“I understand that this is going to be difficult for you but you need to prepare yourself. There’s a very high chance that you will be called to testify or at least provide statements for the prosecution to use against him,” Ignis hesitated for a moment, his discomfort visible as he carefully chose his next words. “More importantly, you need to be ready for whatever his defence team are going to pull out. The actions of Mad Burnish are going to be put back into the spotlight and with the situation between you and Lio…” Ignis trailed off, uncertainty was a rare look on his captain and it only made the unease in Galo’s mind throb. He wanted to scream.</p>
<p>“They’re gonna try and blame Lio?” Galo’s hands shook. Blood rushed wildly through his temples, loud and foreboding as he clenched his hands into fists in an effort to still them.</p>
<p>“We don’t know that yet. The worst they can do is push for a lighter sentence by going down that route but Lio himself won’t be at risk of any legal action. We planned for this to happen years ago when we struck a deal that had Lio, Meis and Gueira working in the community in exchange for their guaranteed freedom,” Ignis took off his glasses, looking directly into Galo’s eyes before continuing. “But, we can’t guarantee how the public will react if the news starts circulating twisted stories about the Mad Burnish again.”</p>
<p>They both knew how a small but significant portion of the population still held a grudge against Mad Burnish. If that small portion was to grow due to a campaign of slander orchestrated by Kray’s defence team, well, Galo didn’t even want to think of the consequences that could cause. The ex-burnish couldn’t take another exile. </p>
<p><em> Lio couldn’t take another exile </em>.</p>
<p>Galo went to speak again but Ignis lifted a hand and cut him off.</p>
<p>“Go home. I’ll make sure your work is covered today,” Ignis stood up from his seat and walked around his desk to lay a firm hand on Galo’s shoulder, “we’ll get through this, get some rest.” Giving his shoulder a soft pat, Ignis turned back around to face his desk. “And make sure Lio gets some rest too.” </p>
<p>An overwhelming feeling of appreciation briefly overtook the mix of unease and distress as Galo abruptly stood up to leave. As his hand lingered on the door knob, he pulled together the strength to speak. “Thanks for lookin’ out for us chief.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Lio had woken up to a text around 8am from Gueira informing him that today’s meeting had been rescheduled. Again.</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes at the message, texting Gueira back before flopping out of bed to start a day of paperwork instead. The tower of papers on their kitchen table had been piling up recently. A rare day to himself in the apartment was almost a blessing in disguise for catching up on the never ending building proposals and other legal documentation required to make life for the ex-burnish a little more bearable. </p>
<p>After hours of reading and signing the table had turned into an organised mess. Anyone else would look at the scattered paper and see absolute chaos but Lio knew that everything was in its right place, even if he did keep losing certain documents when he went to re-read them after putting them down for only a few seconds. It was when he was searching for an outline for a new block of apartments that he heard a key turn in the door.</p>
<p>Quickly glancing at his phone to check the time, Lio saw that it was only 2pm. Too early for Galo to be home.</p>
<p>Yet to his surprise, that mess of blue hair and neon orange trudged through the door looking as exhausted as he felt. Regardless, the sight of that sun kissed skin and strong jaw knocked the air from Lio’s lungs. He had his coat draped over his arm, the tight black shirt he wore with his uniform showcasing the strong line of his slumped shoulders. The other man was yet to notice him, staring blankly at the wall. His tired eyes still sparkled a stunning ocean blue and oh god when was the last time he’d actually seen his boyfriend awake?</p>
<p>The realisation froze Lio, the papers long forgotten as he stared at the man he’d been longing to spend time with for over a week. He hated how much their hours clashed and he wasn’t going to waste a second reading paperwork when Galo was conscious and standing mere metres away from him. Even if he did look like a feather could knock him over right now. </p>
<p>However, once Galo turned to face Lio his obvious fatigue was quickly replaced with a bright smile and a straightened back. Lio would’ve believed that it was due to the excitement of realising that he was home and not out in meetings all day that returned his energy to him but something didn’t seem right. His smile didn’t reach his eyes, his back was unnaturally straight and his shoulders shot up to his ears. Sure, it had been a while since he’d seen Galo outside of their bed but he hadn’t forgotten how he usually acted. Something was wrong, he just didn’t want Lio to know. </p>
<p>Or it directly concerned him and was figuring out a way to tell him.</p>
<p>Neither were ideal.</p>
<p>“Lio? I didn’t know you were gonna be home today” Galo stuttered in disbelief, blinking tightly as though Lio was a mirage that would disappear the second he looked away.</p>
<p>“Meeting was cancelled again,” Galo groaned softly in sympathy, he knew how many times this had happened. “I thought I’d attempt to dig our table out from underneath these papers instead.”</p>
<p>Galo stared at the cluster of pages sprawled across the table, not even a slither of the wood was visible. “It’s funny I could’ve sworn it was around here somewhere this morning,” he joked, walking over to the table and brushing his fingers gently across the surface. </p>
<p>“Hilarious,” Lio deadpanned, “why are you home so early?” </p>
<p>“Slow day,” he said, eyes shifting away from Lio, “I was in the way so Ignis sent me home.” Galo was visibly uncomfortable as he answered the question, laughing nervously and scratching the back of his neck. He knew he hadn’t convinced Lio when he raised an eyebrow in suspicion.</p>
<p>“Anything else you want to tell me?” He prompted gently, holding his gaze and watching as Galo debated whether to spill whatever was on his mind. </p>
<p>”There is,” he sighed, “but can it wait? I want to enjoy my afternoon with you first.” He reached out a hand to cup Lio’s cheek, the warmth of it helping soothe the need he had to burn that only Galo could satisfy since the promare left. </p>
<p>It wasn’t like Galo to avoid his problems like this. When it came to the minor issues of his life he confronted them with a strong head on his shoulders, fuelled on by his ‘burning soul’. However, when it came to problems that affected him personally and emotionally it was a different story. That was when he would hop on the back of his bike and drive to the frozen lake to think. Lio couldn’t help but feel a wave of dread wash over him as he realised that this was more than just a petty argument with Aina or a rough rescue. </p>
<p>“Get out of your uniform, I’ll make us some tea.” </p>
<p>“Thanks, Lio. Be prepared! I haven’t had the chance to cuddle you in like, a week and my burning soul is running low on Lio fuel.” Lio halfheartedly nudged Galo after his spiel and laughed softly. A playful smirk lifted his lips as he pulled Galo’s head down to press their foreheads together.</p>
<p>“Idiot.”</p>
<p>“You know it,” Galo laughed.</p>
<p>Rolling his eyes, Lio threaded a hand through Galo’s hair and pressed the other against his neck as he brought their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss. Both of them smiled as they pulled away, simply enjoying the feeling of being back in each other’s hold. Galo soon leaned in again, catching Lio briefly off guard at the passion behind it but fell easily into the rhythm as their lips moved together. A thumb began to massage his cheek, Galo’s other hand moving up to cup his jaw. </p>
<p>They found a steady pace, their tongues lazily brushing occasionally. Lio hummed happily into the kiss and Galo responded with a playful nip to his lower lip. It was so loving, so warm and Lio wanted to just stand there forever kissing Galo. When was the last time they’d kissed? They really needed to work out their schedules.</p>
<p>“You taste like that awful coffee at the station,” Lio gasped as they broke away, smiling mischievously at the horrified look that struck Galo’s face.</p>
<p>“Lio!”</p>
<p>“Get changed,” he called over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen, “and brush your teeth.” </p>
<p>“LIO!”</p>
<p>Galo obediently went to the bedroom to change, even if he did pout and grumble under his breath as he went. Lio couldn’t help but huff a small laugh to himself, a wide smile peeling up the corners of his lips. He’d missed this. So much. </p>
<p>Once he’d filled two mugs with steaming hot tea he padded into the living room. Setting the cups down into the coffee table, Lio collapsed onto the sofa and relished in the satisfaction of allowing his aching bones to sink into the plush cushions. If Galo didn’t return soon he was certain he’d fall asleep like this, one arm crushed against the back of the sofa with the other arm and a leg hanging over the edge. He closed his eyes and scrubbed the back of his hand over them drowsily. </p>
<p>“Hey, no falling asleep on me now,” Galo’s voice came from behind the sofa. “You promised me cuddles, I didn’t think I had to specify I wanted you awake for them.” He teased. </p>
<p>Smiling, Lio kept his eyes covered behind his hand. “I don’t recall promising you anything. I said I would make tea, you were the one who demanded I cuddled with you,” he mused, yelping when Galo poked him in the ribs out of protest.</p>
<p>“Shut up and move over,” Galo prodded and Lio batted his hands away from tickling him any further. When Lio refused to move, he sighed dramatically. “I <em> could </em> lie on top of you but the last time I did that you kept complaining that my strong, manly body was crushing you.”</p>
<p>“Again, don’t recall the ‘strong, manly’ part,” he challenged. Sitting up, he grabbed Galo’s hands to haul him onto the sofa in the space he’d created. “You chose to be a hunk of pure muscle, live with the consequences.”</p>
<p>“Wow, do I sense jealousy, Li?” Galo grinned, relaxing onto the sofa and pulling Lio into his arms. He went willingly, resting on one of Galo’s legs and being bracketed in by the other. </p>
<p>“Considering we both know that I could beat you in a fight, definitely not.” Lio chided and circled his arms around Galo’s trim waist. He leaned his head against his firm chest, eyes closing with content at the sound of his heartbeat. Although he was certain Galo knew anyway, Lio secretly loved to listen to the steady rhythm and feel it fluttering against his cheek. It was comforting. A reminder that they were both still here, safe and healthy. </p>
<p>“I don’t know where you’re hiding all that strength. Is it the paperwork? Is that the secret because I’m beginning to think I’ve been doing something wrong lifting all those weights.” Galo pinched Lio’s arm, tugging at the soft skin. Though they were small enough that Galo could almost wrap his hands around them, they were surprisingly toned. It wasn’t enough to give him Galo levels of upper body strength though. </p>
<p>“I lift a lot of heavy stuff when I help deliver supplies to the ex-burnish camps and construction sites,” Lio hummed, “but yes, Galo, it’s definitely from holding such a heavy pen all the time.” </p>
<p>“Ah shit, we might hafta switch jobs then, I’m still trying to beat Varys at an arm wrestle.”</p>
<p>“Please, I don’t think our bed could take another pound of muscle,” Lio snorted. Said bed had gained a fair few creaks and squeaks over the past couple years. “I hate to bust your dream bubble Thymos, but I’m pretty sure Varys has superhuman strength. I’d cut your losses now,” he paused and shifted to look Galo in the eye. “Also I made a bet with Lucia that I don’t want to lose.”</p>
<p>“Aw, Lucia thinks I have a chance of beating him?”</p>
<p>“No, she bet that you’d get your ass kicked.” Lio deadpanned. “I bet that you’d quit to save face.” </p>
<p>“Well shit, thanks for believing in me Li.” Galo nudged him with his shoulder, voice struck with pretend hurt. The pout, though, was certainly real. Poor guy. </p>
<p>“I’m just looking out for you, they’d never let you live it down after getting so cocky when you insisted you’d beat him the next time you challenged him. Do you want a picture of you on your ass being pinned to the board for the next six months?” Lio raised an eyebrow. “Actually, you know what. I’m warming up to the idea of losing that bet all of a sudden.”</p>
<p>“Cut it out. You’re both gonna lose because I’m gonna beat him. I’m all fired up now!” He raised his arms and flexed, his signature determined grin blinding Lio. “Being the number one firefighting idiot was fun but I’m ready to add ‘world's strongest arm wrestler’ to my title.” </p>
<p>“Good luck with that,” Lio patted his cheek, “the pen’s on the table if you want to start practicing.” Pressing a quick kiss to his jaw, Lio leaned back on the other end of the sofa and pulled Galo down so that his head was resting in his lap.</p>
<p>“Smartass.” Galo chuckled, allowing Lio to rearrange their position and snuggling into those strong thighs. Lio ran his hands through Galo’s wild blue hair, petting him gently and massaging his ears every once in a while. </p>
<p>When they fell into a natural silence, Galo’s face twisted into a dejected expression. Lio knew he was trying to muster up the nerve to tell him whatever was on his mind. Patiently, a pale hand continued to massage Galo’s scalp, nails lightly scratching soothingly and petting away the worries that had taken shelter in his skull. He trusted Galo to talk when he was ready.</p>
<p>Suddenly the weight in his lap was gone. His hands were wrapped in the warmth of his boyfriend’s, the larger hands squeezing his tightly for comfort.</p>
<p>“They’ve set a date for Kray’s trial.”</p>
<p>If Galo hadn’t seized his hands he was almost certain he would be tearing his hair out. </p>
<p>He’d been expecting this. Life was still unbelievably busy for him and Galo but the city was functional again and he knew it was only a matter of time before they tackled the huge problem they had sitting behind bars. </p>
<p>Kray going to trial was a big deal to both of them. He’d affected both of their lives so deeply and in vastly different ways. To Galo he was the man who’d spent a decade manipulating him, the man who’d deprived him of his parents and took advantage of his naivety in a plot to see him dead. To Lio he was the monster who’d taken the lives of hundreds of his people, who’d locked them up and tortured them, experimenting on them until they turned to ash. Their experiences were so different but they were united in the damage he’d caused them both. </p>
<p>Two years was enough time to make nightmares less frequent, to process and accept the events that led them to today but it wasn’t enough time to heal every wound and scar he had left. No amount of time ever would. He would always carry the memories of his life as a burnish close to him, it was a part of who he was. All he could do was learn to move forward and he had. He knew Galo felt the same. </p>
<p>That didn’t make facing the source of their trauma any easier.</p>
<p>“Oh.” Lio’s voice came out in a whisper. He couldn’t find anything to say that could express how he felt. So many questions and emotions were trampling their way through his skull, overwhelming him beyond words. Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes and focussed on what felt most important. “When?” </p>
<p>“The 12th, two weeks on Friday.” Galo answered.</p>
<p>“So soon?” Lio squeezed his eyes shut, everything was happening too fast. </p>
<p>“They’ve waited so long already, I think they’re anticipating a long trial so the sooner they get started the sooner it can end.” Galo squeezed Lio’s hands even tighter, drawing them close to his heart. “It’s funny, it got pushed back so much I think I’d almost convinced myself that they would just leave him in his cell forever and we wouldn’t have to think about what he did ever again. Out of sight out of mind, y’know?” </p>
<p>“I know,” he answered gently, “but our goal has always been justice. It wouldn’t be fair to you or the burnish who lost their lives to let him waste away without answering to what he did. I promised them…” his breath hitched in an unexpected sob, “I promised them I wouldn’t let him get away with what he did to them.”</p>
<p>Galo continued to hold his hands steady, allowing Lio the space to breathe and work through his sadness. Lio knew it was difficult for Galo to hold himself back from crushing him into a hug at the first sign of tears and appreciated that Galo trusted him to go to him when he was ready. It had taken months of making mistakes but they’d soon learned how to respond to each other’s emotions. So, when Lio was overwhelmed Galo knew he needed space. </p>
<p>“They want us to testify?” Lio asked. Tears continued to drip down his cheeks, going unnoticed for the most part leading them to collect at his chin. Galo lightly brushed a finger across the pale boy’s cheeks to clear them. </p>
<p>“Ignis wasn’t sure but it’s likely that we’ll be asked. You don’t have to though, nobody can force you to.” The hand that was briefly abandoned slipped back into the security of another as Galo answered him, lowering his voice to keep stimulation to a minimum. </p>
<p>“I want to,” Lio gasped, finding his breath and steadying himself, “I was their leader, I know everything he and his team did to us. I owe it to them to fight, to be strong for them.” </p>
<p>“You don’t owe anything Lio. You were there for them when they needed you most, you did your best and that’s all they ever could have asked for. Hell, you’re still dedicating every moment you're awake to helping the ex-burnish. I’m pretty sure you even spend your dreams finding solutions to construction setbacks.” Lio managed to breathe out a watery laugh. “You’ve done enough. If you do this, do it for <em> you. </em>” Those blue eyes bore into his, pleading with him to listen. </p>
<p>Though Lio heard him loud and clear, accepting what he had said was a different story. Just because he’d grown a lot since the promare left didn’t mean he was any less stubborn when it came to his responsibility as the old leader of Mad Burnish. The only problem was that Galo was just as stubborn as he was. However, stubborn was probably the wrong word. They were both simply driven by a passion to always do what was right even if it was at their own expense.</p>
<p>“This is bigger than just me Galo.” Lio said between gritted teeth, the pressure relieving the throbbing pain in his head.</p>
<p>“Which is exactly why you aren’t the only person responsible for speaking on behalf of Mad Burnish.” Galo slowly leaned his head forward, a silent question which Lio answered by meeting him halfway and pressing their foreheads together. “At least speak to the legal team first before you make any big decisions. Please?”</p>
<p>“Okay. I will.” Conceding, Lio buried his face into Galo’s neck. He was too tired to fight him. They finally had some rare time to spend together, he didn’t want to waste it thinking about Kray. “Thank you for being patient with me.”</p>
<p>“Always.”</p>
<p>Lips gently kissed the top of Lio’s hair. Galo carefully wrapped his arms around Lio’s waist, testing his response and tightening his grip when Lio hummed in approval. Lifting his head slightly, Lio brushed his nose against Galo’s cheek and pressed their lips together when he turned to meet him. The kiss was slow and careful, a gentle comforting touch that fulfilled their sorely deprived need for affection. </p>
<p>“I love you, Galo,” Lio whispered against Galo’s lips as though it was a secret that could shatter their soothing silence if spoken too loud. It was for Galo’s ears only. Even if they were alone. </p>
<p>“I love you too. We’re going to be okay. We’ll always have each other, no matter what.” Galo rubbed a large hand across Lio’s back. He held Lio’s gaze with such a caring intensity that for a moment Lio forgot how to breathe. He never knew he would find himself so safe and loved, so secure in his relationship with a man he’d steal the sun for. Nothing could burn brighter than him anyway.</p>
<p>Neither of them knew what was waiting for them up ahead but one thing was certain.</p>
<p>Whatever the trial brought their way, they’d face it together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Raincloud on the Horizon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Though Galo and Lio finally have a morning to themselves, two meetings with the lawyers prosecuting Kray open some old wounds.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They were both forced to take the next morning off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignis had called Galo the night before demanding that Galo didn’t turn up to the station until after 1pm, the slight threat masked in his voice indicated that if he was spotted anywhere near the station before that time he’d regret it. Coming from experience, Galo wasn’t going to test his boss’s patience. Not again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio on the other hand had been called by a frantic Meis and Gueira after the news of Kray’s trial had been released to the public. Whilst he could tell that they were suffering with the same overwhelming feeling of being thrust back into painful memories they were still desperate to make sure that Lio was doing okay. That fact both warmed and broke his heart. Warmed that even through their own pain they cared so much about him that they wanted to comfort him, heartbroken that they were still prioritising him over themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He figured this was their way of coping. They’d always faced problems relating to Kray together and with him being their old authority figure the news was waking old habits. For example, considering Lio top priority.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just hoped they took the time to talk it over and heal as a pair when the call ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Similar to Ignis, they told Lio to take tomorrow off entirely and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Reluctantly he’d agreed, but not without ensuring that the rest of the burnish would also take a break to process the news and comfort each other. Unfortunately, Lio, Meis and Gueira had a meeting with the legal team at Burning Rescue to deal with, but they at least had the morning to themselves and no stubborn prejudiced council representatives to fight with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, Galo and Lio found themselves still in bed asleep past 10am for the first time in, well, ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Galo eventually woke up, the first thing he noticed was how refreshed he felt. He wasn’t fighting to keep his eyes open, instead just strangely content and calm as he breathed in the late morning air. For a moment he laid there, eyes open staring at the wall as his head acquainted itself with wakefulness. As usual there was a pale arm draped over his waist and a warm breath against his back. Bliss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And this morning, he could appreciate it a little longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was serene, something as simple as being able to rest in bed with Lio was enough to brighten his entire day. For a while he could just let his body melt into the mattress and forget about the storm crawling closer by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually the loose grip his boyfriend had on his waist wasn’t enough for him. Turning in his hold, Galo took a moment to brush Lio’s disheveled hair away from his eyes before burying his face into the other man’s chest. His skin was warm and firm, patches of it scarred and rough from years of manual labour and attending the odd fire with Burning Rescue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first the plan was for him to join them full time, however they soon hit a wall when Lio struggled to adjust to being on the other side of the exchange. It turned out that accepting that his promare had left for good was harder than he’d expected; dedicating himself to doing the complete opposite of what he spent almost his entire life doing by helping </span>
  <em>
    <span>extinguish</span>
  </em>
  <span> fires was even harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he thrived doing what he’d always done best: fighting the injustice that was placed upon his fellow burnish and doing something about it. No matter what. Only now ‘what’ was angry phone calls and rejected proposals and not… well… </span>
  <em>
    <span>that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually he aimed to rejoin them now that he’d come to terms with his new life. The only thing keeping him from making the switch was the mountain of work he was still doing for the ex-burnish. No matter how much Galo and the other ex-burnish who were overseeing plans and requests told him that he could cut his workload and leave it to someone else, nothing could dampen the fire in his heart that drove him to dedicate his every waking breath to helping others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was what Galo loved about him, even if it worried him sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmf, Galo,” Lio yawned, stretching his arms and groaning at the sensation. One arm flopped onto Galo’s back to caress the skin there and the other wrapped into his hair, soothingly massaging his scalp. Galo hummed in appreciation and pressed a soft kiss to the skin of Lio’s chest above his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mornin’,”  Galo murmured, “It’s a little after 10, we must’ve been more exhausted than we thought. I think we slept for 11 hours.” He tipped his head up and brushed his nose against Lio’s jaw to get his attention. When Lio tipped his head down slightly to look at Galo he couldn’t help but laugh at the awkward angle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop laughing at me.” In defiance Lio turned his head away and frowned. Galo only chuckled harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody looks good at that angle, it's funny,” he laughed. “You still look handsome to me.” Galo placated his boyfriend with a sweet kiss to his chin, patting his cheek gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charmer,” Lio rolled his eyes. Regardless he was smiling, carding his fingers through Galo’s hair to pull it away from his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should get up before we get too comfortable. As much as I’d love to spend the rest of the day in bed with you we do need to eat.” Rolling his shoulders to work out the knots that had formed there overnight, Galo lifted himself onto his elbows to hover above Lio. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Urgh, I don’t think my body is working, Galo. You’re a firefighter right? You can be my legs today. I'll just enjoy the ride.” Slender fingers rubbed at Lio’s eyes as he tried to shoo away any feelings of tiredness. The sight of his boyfriend’s glassy eyes and bare torso gave Galo another idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he teased, “or I could find a way to get your body moving again.” Wiggling his eyebrows, Galo lowered himself over Lio and placed their foreheads together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, how about both?” Lio challenged, a dangerous smirk painting his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can make that work.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Half an hour later, Galo had Lio wrapped in a blanket and carried him firefighter style to the kitchen. Though he had to ask Lio to unlatch the doors considering his hands were full, he still made a statement to kick them the rest of the way open as though he was conducting a dramatic rescue, like a scene straight from an old movie. Lio had his face buried in his hands, hiding his hysterical laughter from his boyfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be afraid. The world's number one firefighting idiot is here to save you!” Galo cheered. He plastered on a playful cocky grin as he continued to theatrically navigate their apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow Mr Fireman, you’re so cool!” Lio laughed through his fingers, the absurdity of what they were doing causing tears to collect in the corners of his eyes from laughing too hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Galo stubbed his toe on the kitchen island, they only laughed harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Galo stop you’re gonna drop me,” Lio cried, struggling to catch his breath as his chest heaved uncontrollably. He was clutching onto Galo’s neck as though his life depended on it. “I hope you’re not this clumsy when you’re on the job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry I’m always in top shape when I’m fighting fires. Plus it’s kinda hard to stub your toe in a mech.” Though his toe was throbbing in pain and his body shook with chuckles, Galo maintained his overconfident tone. What could he say, he was dedicated to the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to know you’re giving me the mediocre treatment. My own boyfriend, unbelievable.” Sighing, Lio looked off into the distance. Their mutual flare for the dramatics was becoming increasingly clear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hush, you know I’ve got you.” Galo placated, tightening his hold on Lio as though to prove his point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, I do,” Lio hummed. “Except for when you almost drop me trying to navigate the kitchen you’ve been using for years.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost is a key word here.” Galo set Lio down on a countertop and pecked him on the lips. “Breakfast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing fancy, just make some toast or something,” Lio yawned. Shifting on the counter he reached up into one of the cupboards to grab two mugs and started making them both coffee. He was too comfortable on the counter to bother hopping down, instead opting to work around the challenge and prepare the drinks from where he sat. It was awkward and the blanket kept slipping from his shoulders but he didn’t care. He just wanted coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Put your own sugar in, I refuse to disrespect coffee like that.” Galo typically drowned his coffee in sugar to a level that Lio could only describe as repulsive. He loved the guy but even the idea of tipping teaspoons of sweetness into what was originally a deliciously bitter drink was too much for him. Who drinks coffee black with three sugars?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay mr ‘my way of drinking coffee is the best way of drinking coffee’.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I refuse </span>
  </em>
  <span>to disrespect my tongue by making it come into contact with that bitter sh-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WAH,” they both yelled. Lio accidentally sloshed coffee down himself and onto the counter, hissing at the mess it caused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The toast was ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck! Every time,” Lio groaned, taking the towel Galo handed him to start clearing up the coffee spill and patted down the blanket. Considering it a lost cause, he shrugged off the blanket and threw it in the direction of the washer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re as bad as each other I swear.” Galo held a palm to his chest, doubled over as he tried to regain his breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio was quiet as he sipped what remained of his coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You yelled louder,” he murmured, teasing Galo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, Li,” Galo replied, “I’m just making sure the toaster knows who’s boss. If it’s gonna scare me I’m at least gonna be passionate about it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fact that what you just said makes some sort of sense to me is an indication that I’ve been with you too long.” Rubbing his temples, Lio lifted his gaze to smile at the other man. His perpetual enthusiasm was infectious after all and Lio had never been good at pretending he didn’t enjoy it. He didn’t want to pretend anyway, he hadn’t fought so hard to save his people and the world to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>enjoy every stupid moment he had with the guy who’d helped him do the saving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If this is what two years does, what are we gonna be like ten years from now?” Galo jokingly asked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ten years. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That was a nice thought, though Lio liked the idea of </span>
  <em>
    <span>forever </span>
  </em>
  <span>far more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dumb,” he deadpanned, “but happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio!” Galo melted, standing between Lio’s legs and wrapping his arms around him. “I’m willing to sacrifice my smarts for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eat your breakfast,” Lio smiled into his mug.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>After breakfast Lio had left Galo to clean up whilst he showered and changed. Galo had already dressed for the day earlier when Lio was napping after his attempts to ‘get his body moving again’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo didn’t take long to get ready anyway. So long as he was clean and wearing something comfortable he didn’t really care. Lio had told him that not everyone was blessed with his ability to be so easygoing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the plates and mugs cleaned and dried, Galo left to grab his jacket from the bedroom. As soon as he pushed the door open, his eyes shifted to Lio standing by their full length mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If it was possible, Galo’s jaw would’ve dropped to the floor. Lio was wearing his usual leather pants adorned with a multitude of buckles with a thick waist high belt. Tucked into the belt was a billowing, white blouse with bell sleeves that draped over his elbows. His boyfriend always looked incredible no matter what he was (or wasn’t) wearing, but considering the lack of time Galo had possessed recently to appreciate Lio’s outfit choices this one managed to take his breath away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop staring, you weirdo. I’m hot, I get it.” Stepping towards Galo, Lio pushed up onto his toes and kissed him gently. “One of us has to dress properly to make up for your shirt aversion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wear shirts!” Galo exclaimed, “Sometimes it gets hot or they get charred during a rescue so I make the adult decision to take it off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say.” Patting his chest, Galo watched as Lio left the bedroom and grabbed his bike keys from the dish on the kitchen counter. “I’m driving by the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a final huff of laughter, Galo trailed behind Lio out the door and soon he was straddling the bike behind Lio, his arms wrapped around his waist as they sped through the streets of Promepolis towards Burning Rescue HQ.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Meis and Gueira were already there when they arrived. Waving goodbye to Galo, Lio walked over to his old generals and closest friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss!” They greeted in unison. He was relieved to see that they appeared well rested and in somewhat good spirits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’re you guys holding up?” Lio asked, choosing to ignore their persistence in calling him ‘boss’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been better,” Meis explained, “but we’ve also been through worse. It sucks to face what happened but this is a good thing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Waiting to see him face justice has been a long time coming. Meis is right, we should remember that there’s a huge positive to all of this: seeing his sorry ass in prison with everyone knowing what a piece of shit he truly is.” Gueira smacked his fist into his other palm, smiling dangerously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Won’t ever take away what he did to us but it’s as good as we’re gonna get. I’m just annoyed I never managed to get a punch in before he was arrested.” Meis huffed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can always count on you two to focus on the positive,” Lio chuckled and allowed them both to pull him into a hug. They’d last seen each other only a couple of days ago but they’d never really acclimated to not spending every waking minute together. Old habits die hard or whatever Galo always told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How have you and Galo been handling the news?” Meis asked as they pulled away. Honestly, Lio didn’t know how they were handling it. Sure, they’d both been upset the night before but it wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad… right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re okay, you don’t need to worry about that.” He settled for a half-truth. Kind of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men raised their eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, force of habit,” he relented. “It’s been rough. I don’t understand why I’m taking it so hard, I’ve spent so many years of my life desperate to see him behind bars. There’s a part of me that just wants to forget that he exists at war with another part of me that wants to stare him down and make him answer all the questions I swore I’d ask him if I ever had the chance to take him down.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand,” Meis looked at him sympathetically. “He caused us so much pain, of course we want to see him repent. It’s complicated when you have to face your own suffering in order to make that happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just feel like I’m failing all those people who he hurt... the people we lost. It feels like I’m trying to forget their pain because I’m too weak to fight through my own.” The guilt had been slowly eating away at Lio and he couldn’t help but feel lighter at the admission. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think anyone blames us for wishing the painful parts of our life didn’t happen. That doesn’t make you weak or mean you’re avoiding facing reality. We’re human after all, hurting is hard,” Gueira comforted.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hurting is hard.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled his two friends into another hug, smiling as they both squeezed him tight in support.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate to interrupt but they’re ready to talk to you.” Lio looked up to see Ignis watching them. His expression was soft behind his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio broke apart and thanked Ignis. Whatever waited for them in his office, they’d face it together and Lio’s fire for justice began to ignite within his bones. His resolve was crystal clear. They were all going to get through this and support each other through the hurt. Once all of this was over, they were going to be united in peace.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>When Lio walked into the office, he was surprised to see familiar faces. Burnish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An? Emani?” Shocked, Lio crossed the room to pull them both into a hug. They had both been so helpful on the legal side of things in regards to resettling to ex-burnish. Professionalism be damned, he was happy to see people he respected and looked up to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s us,” Emani chirped. They patted Lio warmly on the back, “it’s been a while, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio, it’s good to see you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand but it wasn’t wise to start spilling the news that our next case was the Foresight case before that information was released to the public.” An beamed, accepting hugs from Meis and Gueira before they all let themselves be seated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, I’m glad to know that there is a strong burnish representation in the fight against him,” he replied. Sitting back comfortably, he lifted an ankle to rest atop his opposite thigh and dropped his chin to his hand. He was ready to listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what do we need to know? I mean, there’s no way the bastard is getting away with any of this so I can’t see why we need this whole ‘important meeting’ stuff,” Gueira yelped when Meis elbowed him in the side, “what? It’s nice to see you guys and I’m super happy that we’re finally putting an end to Foresight but couldn’t we have just, I don’t know, called?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gueira I swear to god we went over this.” Meis groaned and rubbed his fingers against his temples.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Meis,” An chuckled, “Unfortunately it’s a bit more complicated than simply charging him. Considering his legal team aren’t settling this peacefully by admitting guilt we have to do this the long way. I’m positive we’ll end up with the same result, this is just a last ditch effort to try and cause some more damage before he goes away for good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of damage?” Lio dared to ask, uncomfortable with the concept that Kray could still be dangerous from a prison cell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what we called you here to discuss,” An stated, threading her fingers together and hooking them over a knee. “This isn’t an accusatory question, I want genuine answers here. Why did Mad Burnish start fires?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question took the trio by surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean why? We were being hunted and experimented on until we were nothing but bandages and ash!” Gueira exclaimed, agitated at the blunt question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a reason, Gueira. Thanks for starting us off.” Emani noted down Gueria’s response, listening intently. It became very evident that they were being serious. Sure, the pair were burnish, but it was rare for someone to ask why they did what they did and expect an honest answer. Usually they just wanted to scream at them when they tried to be earnest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t really have a choice. Nobody ever listened to us when we said </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> burning wasn’t an option. We never had a safe or controlled way to satisfy that uncontrollable need to combust.” Hesitantly, Meis seemed to put his trust in the two lawyers. Lio couldn’t help but feel a little proud, they’d all found it hard to be vulnerable outside of their trio so it felt good to see Meis opening up so soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We only targeted buildings that were linked to Kray’s experiments,” Lio provided. “We always planned ahead to make sure we struck when the least amount of people would be inside the building and provided safe exits so that nobody would get hurt. The goal was only ever to hurt Foresight. We weren’t killers.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair continued to note down their responses, humming to indicate that they were listening and paying attention to every word. It dawned on Lio that they were recording this as evidence. Though it wasn’t a formal witness statement, he figured this was to help them prepare prior to receiving them. Sure, An and Emani were burnish, but they had lived their lives in seclusion and had managed to hide until it was safe to live out in the open. Any information they had about Mad Burnish was coming straight from Lio and the others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we could have lived peacefully amongst the population as equals we wouldn’t have needed to start those fires. If we weren’t being arrested simply for being burnish and then sacrificed we would’ve had no reason to resist. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> crime was twisting the law against us to ensure that being burnish was an inevitable death wish, we were fighting against that injustice the only way we could,” Lio continued. It was cathartic to talk about his motivations as the leader of Mad Burnish. There was a comfort in being able to explain yourself after so many years of being ignored and have somebody finally listen when it counted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Punishing us for setting those fires would mean punishing us for not accepting that our lives were expendable,” Gueira solemnly added. He was right, their lives were to either burn or die. There was no middle ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, I know it must be hard to discuss this. We wanted to hear in your own words your motivations instead of going off of hearsay.” Emani flicked through their file, appearing to scan a series of pages with their eyes before stopping on one and lifting their gaze to look at Lio. “We also wanted you to understand that we hear you and that we’re on your side before we tell you something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Lio had a bad feeling about the direction this conversation was taking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a possibility that Mr Foresight’s legal team are going to push the angle that he was protecting the city from Mad Burnish. It won’t lessen his sentence, he has too many lives on his hands, but it is possible that they could use the lingering anti-burnish presence to take one last hit at you before he goes away forever.” An was eerily calm as she spoke. Lio could feel his soul collapsing in on itself; he really missed his fire’s soothing presence right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re gonna try and turn the public against us again.” He didn’t ask because it wasn’t a question. He knew. A part of him always had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“History won’t be kind to them if they do. The truth is out there now, we can only trust that the burnish won’t be the subjects of mass misinformation again.” Emani looked off to the side, their eyes wistful as though they were trying to imagine a world where all this bullshit didn’t exist. At least, that’s how Lio interpreted it. Maybe he was projecting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence fell across the room. There was a vague sense of mourning for the time that they’d lost and an unsettling feeling that their safety was still not guaranteed. Why couldn’t people just accept differences and not… suck? Lio had been asking himself that question for years; he’d never found an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re gonna release a statement about our motivations to the press to get ahead of them before they try and drag us back through the mud?” Meis quietly asked. Gueira took his hand and held it in his lap supportively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not,” An spoke flatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Huh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Lio seethed.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Whilst Lio, Meis and Gueira spoke to the lawyers, Galo found himself with little to do considering he wasn’t actually on the clock. It felt odd to be at the station without a job to be done. Luckily for him, Aina was hanging around on her break so he took the opportunity to catch up with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Aina, got a minute?” He asked, approaching the sofa in the break area and sitting on the end opposite to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, talk to me,” she replied. Crossing her legs she balanced her chin on a fist and locked eyes with Galo to show him she was listening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve all seen the news, I’m not gonna pretend that this isn’t about that. How are you and Heris?” Galo knew this was going to be painful for the sisters and even if he was hurting that didn’t mean he didn’t have time to care for his friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything feels kind of numb I guess. I never really knew Kray but it’s like that wall Heris and I were working so hard to break down just got ten times stronger.” Aina brushed her bangs behind her ears in an attempt to occupy her hands. “What she did was wrong, so wrong and I’m never going to forget that and I hate it. I’m trying so hard to focus on the fact that Kray lied to her and she thought she was doing the only thing she could do to save </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> but that’s a moral dilemma that’s too painful to be a part of.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed heavily. Family was complicated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to be saved at the expense of thousands of innocent lives. I know that I wasn’t in her position but fuck, Galo, I don’t think I’d have done that for her. She’s everything to me but I’d rather we went down together than be so… so cruel. She watched people die in those experiments, she knowlingly designed an engine that would murder any burnish they could find. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> this Galo and she still did it. And then she lied to me! I so desperately want to forgive her for betraying my trust like that but it’s not even my place to forgive her. She didn’t hurt me anywhere near as much as she hurt the burnish.” Aina hugged her sides, nails digging into the skin there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo reached forward and grabbed her hands. There were angry red welts on her waist that would disappear in a minute or two. Wordlessly, he gently held onto his friend’s hands and gave them a squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kray lied to a lot of us, that is at the root of all of the evil that was pressed upon the burnish. I can’t say I’m particularly okay that Heris was involved in… </span>
  <em>
    <span>that... </span>
  </em>
  <span>but without her we also wouldn’t have been able to stop the Parnassus from warping. Kray is the one on trial, undoing years of forgiveness and moving forward because of him is exactly the kind of power he wanted over our lives. Heris handed herself over to whatever punishment they dealt her, we can only work from there. You don’t have to forgive her, that doesn’t mean you can’t move forward.” Did that make sense? He hoped it did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Galo.” Aina whispered, lowering her gaze to the floor. “I guess we were all guilty in some way, huh? Sure we believed that the burnish who weren’t affiliated with Mad Burnish were innocent but we never really questioned why they were completely absent in society. We never thought to question why Mad Burnish did what they did.” Aina sounded solemn, the weight of their past actions resting heavily on her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t get too caught up in hindsight. All of that can’t be changed as frustrating as it is. Fuck, I arrested my own boyfriend!” Galo laughed sadly. “The past is never going to be fixed, the best we can do is accept that we were wrong and continue to learn to be better versions of ourselves so that it never happens again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never want to make anyone feel the way the burnish felt for those 30 years ever again. I just wish they didn’t have to suffer for us to gain that resolve.” Aina slipped her hands from Galo’s and held a hand over her heart. To Galo, it looked like she was making a vow to herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is hard,” Galo said the only thing that came to his mind. It was the one thought he frequently found himself dwelling on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is, but that’s from guilt, it’s not the same as what they’re feeling. It’s important that we don’t forget the difference.” Aina clenched her hand into a fist over her heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Galo was lost for words after that. The weight of their conversation laid heavily between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were silent for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Galo?” Aina broke the quiet tentatively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to answer but… what happened between you and Kray? You were pretty close with him.” She seemed as though she regretted asking the further into the question she got.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina had never asked him that before. In fact, nobody had except for Lio. It was still a sore spot, he could feel his heart begin to pound and shit…. he shouldn’t still be this sensitive. No. He could hear Lio scolding him somewhere in the back of his head. ‘Healing takes time, it’s okay to not be okay’. With a deep sigh, he collected his thoughts and embraced his pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was like a brother to me. After the fire when my parents died he was the only person who was there for me. He put me through school, made sure I had somewhere to live... he got me my job here. I really looked up to him y’know?” It had been a while since he’d discussed Kray. In fact, the last time had been when he opened up to Lio all those years ago. There was something oddly freeing about addressing it again now that he felt stronger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I only ever wanted to make him proud to thank him for saving me and then continuing to look after me. I’d have never in my wildest dreams imagined that he was the one who’d set my house on fire and wanted me... dead all along.” He winced at his final words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Galo that’s awful!” Aina cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard.” He nodded solemnly. “I lost my family and I thought I’d found a new family in him. Then I lost that too.” It always hurt to admit that out loud. All he’d ever wanted was family, he resented how difficult that had been for him. “But! Third time’s a charm, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and Lio make a great pair, I’m glad you guys have each other,” Aina patted Galo’s ankle gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, Lio’s my family but it’s not just him. I have you, the rest of Burning Rescue, Meis, Gueira. We’ve all got complicated situations but we all have each other’s backs. It’s nice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Found family was a pretty new concept to Galo and if somebody had assured him all those years ago that his friends were what he’d been looking for all along, it would’ve saved him a lot of pain. He was just glad his eyes were open now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is,” she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s up? Why’re we crying?” Meis joked as he walked towards them with Gueira and Lio following closely behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were crying?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lifting a hand to brush against his cheek Galo was surprised to find that it was wet. Woah, when did that happen?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, just a little heart to heart,” Aina covered for them, standing up and rocking on her feet. “Anyway, I should get back to work. I hope everything goes okay with the lawyers, Galo. See you around guys,” she waved and walked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio lifted a suspicious eyebrow at Galo who waved him off to indicate that he’d tell him later. Looking at the other man, he could tell he was on edge. He was tapping his foot impatiently and Gueira didn’t seem to be in much better shape. Galo figured Meis was fucking around to try and occupy his own mind away from whatever conversation they’d just had in Ignis’ office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My turn?” He asked, walking over to Lio. Gently picking up one of his hands, he gave it a reassuring squeeze before dropping it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they want you in now.” Lio replied, voice dark and if that was any indication as to how his own conversation was going to go, he couldn’t say he was particularly excited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be out soon, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Galo left for Ignis’s office. A thick cloud of uncertainty followed him as he couldn’t shake the pained and angry look on his boyfriend’s face.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Galo knocked before entering the office. Two people stood from their seats to greet him, both dressed pristine in suits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Galo, it’s nice to meet you. I’m An and this is Emani, we’re leading the case against Mr. Foresight.” An shook his hand with a firm grip, smiling professionally before allowing Emani to shake his hand to. The formality of it was uncomfortable for him but he knew that it’d be inappropriate to be too casual with them upon first meeting. They were here to put </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> away for good, not to make friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Galo Thymos, nice to meet you too. Pretty sure you already knew that though,” he laughed nervously, taking a seat opposite them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have too much to go over today, we just need to get a few pieces of information from you and then discuss some of our plans going forward.” An crossed one leg over the other and opened her folder. “We may need to meet like this again over the course of the trial but that depends on how it goes. We don’t know how much we need from you yet so we just want to establish some basics.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine. I’ll try and help as much as I can but I’ve gotta be honest I don’t really know much. Kray hurt me, sure, but it’s not illegal to lie to someone.” Galo’s usual confidence had briefly vacated his body. He could do this. It was just a conversation, Thymos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr Foresight did a lot more than just lie to you, Mr Thymos. That’s not what we’re here to debate though. Are you okay to start with some questions?” Tapping a pen on the page in front of them, Emani looked at him to give the go ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I’ll do my best to answer them.” He wasn’t certain how helpful he would be, but he was willing to tell them all he knew if it helped imprison the source of his nightmares for life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry too much about how much you can tell us. At this stage there’s no ‘too much’ or ‘too little’,” An explained, expression earnest as she attempted to soothe his nerves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair took a moment before An steeled herself and spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate to be frank about this but were you aware of what Mr Foresight was planning when you helped arrest Lio, Meis and Gueira?” An asked. Her use of the trio's first names wasn’t lost on him but it didn’t feel important enough to address.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Of course not, I’d have never helped him if I’d known. I couldn’t believe it when Lio told me but I’m still a man of morals. I confronted him as soon as I could and when he confirmed my worst fears I handed back my medal.” Remembering Lio’s hurt expression in the soft light of that burnish fire felt like a lifetime ago. Remembering the way his heart cracked when Kray’s plan was laid bare to him felt like it happened only yesterday. The nightmares made sure of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Emani hummed. “Did he ever tell you what his research team was working on? Even if it was a lie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I never really asked. He always made it clear that his work didn’t involve me and I just assumed it was top secret to prevent their research from being copied or stolen. So, I left it alone. I thought they were just making some cool technology, like better mechs for firefighting and medical equipment. I was left in the dark just as much as the public was.” In retrospect, Galo knew very little about Kray. He was just too blinded by his hero worship to see it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It must’ve been quite a shock,” An scribbled something down in her file. “Is it true that you were supported by Kray after you lost your parents?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s right,” he answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you ever live with him?” An pressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, he pulled some strings to legally foster me so that he’d be considered my guardian and then sent me to a boarding school in the city. I think the city’s corruption was already beginning to show itself then, looking back it didn’t make sense that they just let Kray take me straight away.” Wait… why </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> he become Kray’s dependent so easily? “I guess they liked the positive story they got out of the hero who saved my life taking me in and providing for me. Plus, they didn’t have to bother putting funds into another kid who’d been orphaned since the great world blaze. They’d rather twist the law than spend another penny on the orphanages… how cruel.” He trailed off with the realisation. He never should’ve been placed in Kray’s hands in the first place. At least, not so quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did Mr Foresight have the funds to send you to boarding school?” Emani asked. The sheer number of questions they were hitting him with was starting to cause his head to spin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so? It was so long ago now I don’t really remember. I think he was related to somebody on the school board and they let me take up spare space for free.” Was that true? He was 12, scared and he’d just lost his parents. Nobody ever really told him what they were doing or why, he just obeyed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That matches information we have relating to him, it’s okay if you’re not certain we understand it’s been a long time.” Emani’s reassurance worked to help him ground himself back into the conversation. His mind was beginning to drift back to that 12 year old boy… he barely recognised that kid as himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll move on to more recent information,” having sensed the loss of control, An shifted the topic. “We don’t need the specifics of what happened in between your rescue and your acceptance into Burning Rescue at the moment.” An turned over a few pages in her folder and hummed when she must’ve landed on what she was looking for. “You passed your entry exams with almost perfect scores, had you always planned on joining the firefighting service?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess? I always knew I wanted to help people but I was never certain how, Kray was the one who pushed for me to join Burning Rescue… I thought he’d suggested it because he thought it suited me but… well.” Galo hated how planned his life had been. From his childhood to the job that he loved with all his heart. All of it had been orchestrated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well?” Emani prompted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He told me after I confronted him that he pushed so hard to get me into Burning Rescue because it had the highest mortality rate. They hadn’t even been looking for another member and I didn’t have the minimum number of training hours required to join but Kray pressured Ignis into hiring me.” What would have happened if Ignis continued to refuse? Would he have ended up the same as Deus Prometh? Murdered by someone he trusted? He shuddered at the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Were you still relying on him financially after you secured your job with Burning Rescue?” An flicked her eyes between the page in front of her and Galo, clearly trying to match whatever information laid in front of her to what Galo was saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I was paying my living expenses and stuff. He bought my apartment though,” An nodded and circled something on the page. “He told me it was a gift for working so hard so that I didn’t ever have to worry about keeping a roof over my head. It made me feel kinda bad because I’d never be able to pay him back for such a huge gesture… but I guess he had more money than anyone could ever need, buying that apartment was just another way to maintain his facade.” Galo deflated. He hated the reminder that the roof over his and Lio’s heads was provided by the man who’d wanted to see them suffer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d have moved if they could but they swore they wouldn’t until they knew every single ex-burnish had a home of their own. They didn’t want to occupy space that could be given to somebody without shelter, and they definitely didn’t want to place an ex-burnish in their apartment if they ever left it. Too much bad energy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s enough for now. Thank you, Mr Thymos you’ve been very helpful. We understand it must be difficult to talk about this so we really appreciate it.” Emani smiled at him and he deflated. He hadn’t expected to delve so far into his past or into such specifics regarding his old personal life,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, I’m glad I could help. Are we done now?” He prompted, the hesitation clear in his voice as he remembered the look on his boyfriend's face after his own meeting with the pair. Something told him the worst was yet to come. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have something else to discuss with you,” Emani confirmed. They closed their folder and leaned forward so that they could look at Galo directly. It made him feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t stop himself from squirming in his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio, Meis and Gueira. They seemed pretty upset before I came in, is this why?” He wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to that question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is, and unfortunately I don’t think you’re going to like it too much either. However we have to be honest and realistic with you so you’re prepared for the worst.” An followed Emani’s lead and closed her folder too, adding a second spectator to his obvious discomfort. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We think Mr Foresight’s team have been contacting people who were involved in some of the blazes caused by Mad Burnish. Of course we don’t know anything for certain but we believe they may be building a case to fight the angle that Kray was trying to protect non-burnish citizens from danger.” An’s commitment to her professional tone whilst giving Galo some of the worst news he’d heard in over two years made him want to scream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“THAT’S NOT TRUE,” he yelled, startling himself at how loud his voice projected in the small room.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We believe that too, trust us.” An placated, dropping the emotionless tone and making a clear effort to calm him. “Although we’re confident that we have enough evidence to fight those claims, especially with so many of his old research team willing to testify for us, it’s the public that we’re worried about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Many of them spent years under the influence of Kray’s media that spread nothing but slander about the burnish. If they start twisting the truth about why the burnish were setting those fires and conveniently leave out the fact that nobody was ever killed or seriously injured in them, we can’t make any promises that the public won’t turn.” Emani sounded calm, though Galo saw them tightening their grip on their folder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the plan then?” He spoke through gritted teeth. If the ground wanted to swallow him whole, now would be a good time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is where the Lio, Meis and Gueira got upset,” Emani sighed, “for now, because we don’t know exactly how much they’re going to focus on the Mad Burnish we don’t advise we don’t anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” They had to be kidding.</span>
</p><p>“We have our case and that is that Kray murdered Deus Prometh and created an engine that was powered solely using the lives of the Burnish, knowingly experimenting on them to the point of death and plotting to murder thousands more burnish in order to flee the planet.” An explained. Even if it made sense, that didn’t ease Galo’s mind one bit.</p><p>
  <span>“So, what? We just let them shit all over Mad Burnish? We pretend it’s not happening because we’re above it all?” Galo spat, agitated and upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not saying we pretend they’re not throwing accusations around. I’m saying that until we know how sophisticated their case is against the Mad Burnish we’re best waiting until we can calmly refute those claims. If they end up only making minor claims and they gain no traction, we risk helping them in shifting the focus of the trial by investing too much time in telling people what they already know: that the burnish are harmless and aren’t criminals. We don’t want the trial to be overshadowed by reigniting the debate as to whether the burnish still deserve basic human respect.” Emani’s own anger towards the situations began to seep into their words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>An and Emani both winced at the prospect of returning to a time where the media was crawling with evil. Inflammatory articles about why they should be treated as subhuman were not something they wanted to face again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That being said however, we do want to be prepared for the worst case scenario,” Emani noted. “Lio, Meis, Gueira as well as many other members of Mad Burnish are all going to provide us with statements regarding their old plans, confirming only buildings linked to Kray’s experiments were targeted and escape routes were always left accessible. We’ll hit back if necessary but until then we’re going to do what we’re here to do and that’s charge Kray Foresight for his crimes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you understand, Mr Thymos?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. He didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. That doesn’t mean I’m okay with it.” Galo settled to be civil, he didn’t have the energy to fight the two lawyers when he knew deep down they had their best interests at heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Mr Thymos-“ An rushed to plead with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna do anything stupid. I’ll follow your guidance, I just want you to know I don’t like this.” It was the best they could ask of him right now. He couldn’t calm himself down and he knew he needed to talk to Lio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We understand that,” An leaned forward and held Galo’s gaze sincerely. “We were burnish too. I promise we don’t want them to hurt any more than they already have. We just have to be realistic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Realistic. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The trial hadn’t even begun yet and it was already a nightmare... Wait, they were burnish?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll speak to you again soon Mr Thymos. We’ll be in touch.” Emani handed him a card with two names and two numbers printed in cursive. Both lawyers shook his hand firmly as he stood to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Thanks for talkin’ to me,” he mumbled. There was too much on his mind right now to force any more enthusiasm into his voice. The anger had left as soon as it appeared. Now, he was just tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, he left the office and hurried to find Lio. Usually you had to drag him out of the station kicking and screaming, today he couldn't leave sooner.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Lio stormed through the door to their apartment, Galo following closely behind concerned. He knew his boyfriend was worried and just as upset as he was, but as much as Galo loved him and listened to him he could never understand how personal this was. No matter how much he put himself in Lio’s shoes he was never burnish and he never would be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio this sucks I know, I’m angry too,” Lio spun around and raised an eyebrow in warning. He didn’t need to be coddled right now. “I get that I don’t know how it feels, but you heard them, we need to try and stay calm. Talk to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re possibly gonna orchestrate some sort of smear campaign against the burnish and I’m supposed to stay calm?” He was pissed and definitely not in the mood to pretend that everything was okay. There was too much pent up energy waiting to boil over. If he closed his eyes he could almost convince himself that his promare had returned and he was about to burst into flame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have the promare anymore and haven’t for the past 2 years, nothing they say is going to prove that you and the others are a threat. They’ll see that you’re just like the rest of us and continue to accept that you exist among us.” He knew Galo meant well, but there was a deep flaw in his logic that struck a chord within Lio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“THEY SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED US WHEN WE WERE BURNISH!” Lio yelled, surprised by his sudden outburst yet fuelled by it at the same time. “What? Now that we don’t have that kind of power anymore we can finally be perceived as ‘normal’ and therefore worthy of basic human respect? That just justifies our persecution as though there was something wrong with us and now that we’re just like everyone else people have the gall to change their minds and say ‘actually you’re fine’!” He panted, struggling to find the words that expressed the hurt and alienation he’d felt all those years when he was burnish. No. He was still burnish. Flame or not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re the same people! Promare or not we’re the same fucking people. If the world’s acceptance of us relies on us not having it then </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I don’t care if history won’t be kind to them, </span>
  <em>
    <span>the present shouldn’t be kind to them</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” His knuckles were white from how tightly he was clenching his fists in an attempt to ground himself and find his words. “I won't sit here while people justify treating the burnish like shit because one day they’ll look back when the damage has been done and say that they’re sorry. The damage was done 30 years ago, nothing is ever going to change that. Is asking for unconditional acceptance really that unfair of me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Galo stood in shock. Lio knew he’d listened intently to every word he’d said and was trying to process it. Hell, Lio was trying to process what had just happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio, I’m so sorry.” Galo looked straight into his eyes, gaze so sincere that Lio wanted to melt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said something dumb but it’s not you I’m mad at. I shouldn’t have yelled.” Sure, Lio was mad that Galo said something ignorant but he’d known him long enough to know that it didn’t come from a place of malice or prejudice. He always trusted Galo to reflect on his words and learn from them, he always wanted to be better and Lio loved him so much for it. So no, he wasn’t mad at Galo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was mad at the concept of his people being treated like garbage and potentially on the verge of being the centre of a smear campaign. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, that’s fine. I’m glad you got it off your chest.” Slowly, Galo walked towards Lio and reached his hand towards his cheek. Giving him plenty of time to move away, Galo hesitated until Lio leaned into his warm palm. He saw his shoulders slump in relief. “I said something naive, I promise you that promare or not I’d love you all the same. You’re right, respect should never be based on how close you hit to the majority’s idea of ‘normal’. I should’ve thought about what I was saying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgive you,” lio assured and covered Galo’s hand with his own. “We’re on the same side here, we’ve got each other’s backs right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Always.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Galo de Lion back in action?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Lio de Galon</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Galo emphasised, “back in action.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio threw his arms around Galo’s neck and crashed their lips together. It hadn’t been the most romantic start to the night but he was hurting and all he wanted was to fall into Galo’s arms and feel loved. He was emotionally drained and if this was going to become his normal for the next few months then he wanted to enjoy the moments he had with his boyfriend to remind himself what he was fighting for. He refused to let anybody drag him or the other burnish through the mud again. They’d been through enough pain to last too many lifetimes, nobody was going to take away their freedom ever again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Galo gripped the back of his thigh, Lio took the hint and hopped up into Galo’s arms and wrapped his legs around his waist. They lost themselves in the rhythmic movement of their lips. Soft, gentle and loving. When Lio pulled back to start kissing and nipping at his neck, Galo carefully walked them towards the bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t stub your toe this time,” Lio whispered in his ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you ever let me live that down?” Galo groaned, flopping his head onto Lio’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh boy was this chapter hard to write. It just kept growing and growing as my mind  continued to unpack all of the problems these boys are facing. As draining as it was though, I’m really pleased with what I managed to cover. There is more to come and their fight is far from over, but I promise I’ll give them some fun and happy times to look forward to. I’m thinking it’s time they built a new bed...</p><p>Until next time!</p><p>Come say hi @bumblesnom on Twitter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Downpour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With Kray’s trial underway, Galo and Lio begin to face more of their pasts. Oh... and they build a bed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>When Lio opened his eyes, all he saw was ash dancing in the pale streams of light that broke through the cracks in the wreck of the Parnassus. Small specks of life kissed his cheeks and whispered apologies, whimpered pleas for forgiveness sending shivers down his spine before a strong breeze carried the ash away from him. New ash replaced the old, their cries louder and pained.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry, we weren’t strong enough.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The whisper of a passing soul tickled his ear. He opened his mouth to diffuse the apologies, to reassure the crying voice but nothing would come out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We held on as long as we could.” Another spec flitted across his line of sight, circling as it spoke before drifting away.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Forgive us, it was too much.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, he wanted to beg. They didn’t need to seek his forgiveness, they were innocent. Who’s fault was this again? Was it his?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We were so scared.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where were you, boss?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We needed you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why didn’t you come sooner?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sorry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It hurts, boss. Help me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Glaciers of tears crawled their way down his cheeks. In desperation he reached out a hand to cradle the ash but it was gone, only dying embers falling from his wrist. Shaking, he tried to scream but the silence remained. As he collapsed to his knees he cried painfully into the void, begging for the ashes to find their homes and breathe again. All he could do was watch as his own body blew away in the breeze, soaring peacefully as though it knew nothing of the pain he felt in his heart. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taking one final look around, Lio noticed that every visible pod in the Parnassus was empty. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was the last to go.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought woke Lio up, his chest heaving with breathless pants and tears drying on his cheeks. Tiredly he rubbed his forearm across his eyes to clear them, counting slowly down from ten to regain control of his breathing. Galo continued to sleep peacefully and for that Lio was thankful. He needed a moment to process what he’d just dreamt and Galo had been having enough nightmares of his own to deal with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They could talk in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unable to shake the lingering unease the dream… </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmare</span>
  </em>
  <span>, had stirred up, Lio quietly slipped out of bed and padded into the kitchen. He had never been able to sleep after a nightmare, not without taking time to reflect on it and whether that was always a positive thing was up to debate. Sometimes he came out lighter, recognising the trauma and stress behind whatever his dreaming mind had produced but other times he took a foreboding sense of reality from it. Galo, Meis and Gueira had always been there to put him on the right track though whenever he succumbed to the darkness of his dreams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sluggishly, Lio grabbed a mug and boiled water for a peppermint tea. Following his move into society, it had become a ritual for him to sip a calming herbal tea whenever his fears denied him of sleep. Whether the tea was actually responsible for his reduced nerves or if it was just a comforting process wasn’t clear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mint infused steam warmed his nose as he lifted the mug to his lips, sipping the liquid carefully and sighing as it worked its soothing magic. From the mountain of work, to the trial, and now to the lingering threat of anti-burnish sentiment, Lio had been finding it hard to truly de-stress recently and clearly his dreams were starting to catch up with him. Shivering despite the heat stinging the fingers he had wrapped around the burning mug, he sat on the floor and brought his knees up to his chest, back resting against the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing, he begged the remnants of the dream to fade away. He could still smell the smoke of the Parnassus and the cries of the burnish echoed through his skull. It had been a while since he’d last had that particular nightmare but the helpless feeling it left him with was familiar. He didn’t remember turning to ash in reality, he’d had a hunch when he first woke in Galo’s arms but it wasn’t until Galo started having nightmares about seeing his boyfriend fading away that Lio truly discovered the entire sequence of events. Since then, turning to ash in his dreams had become a recurring theme. It was when the burnish turned to ash too that he really began to shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears came before he could even process the overwhelming wave of grief that hit him. This was… a lot. With only the moon as his witness he silently let the sadness run its course through his body, he’d been doing that a lot recently. Who could blame him, he was only human and he wasn’t ashamed to admit to himself that he was struggling. If the crying continued to help him heal after years of holding it in then he’d spend as many hours sitting on the floor as he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damn, he should’ve brought a blanket. The kitchen tiles were so cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio?” A voice whispered followed by tentative steps as Galo entered the kitchen. He looked up to acknowledge him and smiled sadly as tears continued to trickle down his cheeks. Each drop glimmered in the moonlight, unfairly beautiful for such a foul feeling. Though he couldn’t see himself, Lio knew the look communicated his tired thought of ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>yep, this again</span>
  </em>
  <span>’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Galo looked at him for guidance, he patted the space next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, wait,” he rushed, Galo stopped instantly and froze. “No, it’s fine. Just…. could you grab a blanket? I’m freezing my ass off down here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Galo sighed in relief, chuckling softly. “Ugly yellow one or the crocheted one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shit, that was a good question. Ugly yellow was objectively warmer but Galo had made the crocheted one himself, the hard work and care it represented felt warm in a completely different way. The yellow one </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a little itchy he supposed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Crocheted, please,” he whispered, too tired to find his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo left to grab the blanket. It only took him a few moments considering the blanket was folded on a chair in their bedroom which was merely a few steps away from the kitchen. Every second on the cold tiled floor felt like a lifetime regardless, but maybe that was just the stress painfully dragging out every second he was alone. He couldn’t stop his shoulders from slumping in relief when the blanket was thrown around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Galo was still whispering, “this will keep you warm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Lio murmured, leaning his weight into Galo when he took a seat next to him. Without hesitation those large, comforting arms pulled him closer and fingers started to soothe his skin with small, gentle circles. He could feel the knots in his muscles gradually unraveling leaving him feeling boneless and heavy, tension melting from his body with every touch. Finally, he could focus on his breathing and clear his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you wanna talk about it?” Galo asked. As always there was no pressure and Lio couldn’t be more grateful that Galo put so much consideration into caring for him. He always made sure to return the favour, of course. Isn’t that what love was?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had another ash dream… on the Parnassus,” solemnly he hid his face behind his mug and took another deep inhale of the steam. “All of the pods were empty, I was the only one left… I could hear them crying and apologising but I couldn’t speak. I just wanted everyone to be safe but I’d failed them. Then I faded away too…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a while since you last had that one,” Galo held him tighter and kissed his hair. “I wish I could just jump into that stubborn head of yours and fill all of your dreams with cuddles and six-hour-long presentations on why you’re the most incredible, kind and selfless person on the planet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio chuckled at the prospect. As much as he knew Galo was joking, he knew for a fact that if somebody actually presented him with the opportunity to occupy his dreams he would. Honestly, Lio would be surprised if he didn't wake up to an actual six hour presentation tomorrow. Galo didn’t need fancy dream technology to tell Lio how much he loved him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It feels like every time we come one step closer to moving on something always comes back to stop us. I know nothing will ever take what happened to us away but I don’t know how much more of this push and pull I can take before I break, Galo.” He could feel his heart sinking by the day, after everything he’d overcome to find peace and happiness with somebody he loved it seemed as though the world was desperate to tear it all away from him. “I didn’t overcome years of hell because I was strong, I overcame it because I had no other choice. Sure, I was a badass but most of the time I was running on adrenaline. I’m tired, Galo, I don’t have a load of fancy fire tricks to distract people from how run down I am anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio, it doesn’t matter </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>you overcame it, that doesn’t mean you weren’t incredibly strong and I don’t mean physically. Like, yeah, you were the strongest burnish the group had but it’s more than that. The emotional strength you have…. Lio nobody should ever have to go through what you and the other burnish did.” Galo held him tighter as the tears began to fall again. “It’s okay if you break, you’re only human Lio. I think you’re asking too much of yourself, you’re allowed to not be okay… I’m gonna be right here no matter what, I don’t care if I have to wake up at four am everyday until we’re eighty and sit on a cold kitchen floor with you.” He cupped his face and tenderly brushed his thumbs across his cheeks, trying to clear away the tears but to no avail. Lio turned his gaze up to meet Galo’s eyes and gasped softly at the realisation that he wasn’t the only one who was crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gently, Lio placed a hand on Galo’s neck and dropped his face onto his shoulder. His other hand grasped the back of his shirt, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow since when did Galo wear shirts in the apartment, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the fabric twisting and stretching in his tight grip. All of his tension went into what was probably destroying Galo’s shirt but considering the amount of tears and snot he was getting on it, he figured it probably didn’t matter. Wait, had Galo put a shirt on because of this? Smart guy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a mess,” Lio sobbed weakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you’re sad. Never a mess.” Galo whispered and combed his fingers through his hair soothingly. “Well, except for when you leave your clothes all over the place when you get home late.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio couldn’t help but laugh wetly, “bastard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that they sat there on those cold kitchen tiles wrapped in Galo’s crocheted blanket for hours. At some point Lio had ended up in Galo’s lap as they talked about everything and nothing, slowly letting the grips of sadness ebb away into a dull calm. He was still sad, it was gonna take a lot more than one kitchen crying session to fix that, but he felt better under Galo’s loving care. Love wasn’t going to make the bad things go away, that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to carry him through the flames drenched in fireproof goo in an attempt to save him from a burning inferno. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, when the sun was finally starting to rise low on the horizon, Lio fell asleep in the place he felt safest.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Let’s get a new bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo stood in front of Lio who was lounging on the sofa with his hands on his hips. The sudden declaration came from nowhere but there was a fire in his eyes that seemed to suggest that he’d been thinking about this for a while. He’d just finally gotten the drive to do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? What, why?” Lio spluttered, trying to process the spontaneity of the statement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Disregarding the wear and tear it’s gotten since you moved in, I think it’ll be good to have a change,” Galo paused and took a moment to think as though he was struggling to word what he wanted to say. Chuckling nervously, he scratched at his head and Lio waited patiently for him to continue. “I don’t know, it’s like it has a lot of bad energy. By throwing that bed away it feels like we’re throwing away the years of bad dreams with it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, that was… oddly poetic. It took Lio by surprise, he wasn’t expecting such a reasonable and, honestly, moving answer. His heart swelled with love for the man across from him and how emotionally in touch he was, how he always knew what to do in order to shine light in the darkest corners. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not saying a new bed is going to stop us from having nightmares, but maybe it could be a small start in healing.” Galo looked at him for reassurance and Lio was more than happy to provide it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like that idea,” he said, cheery and enthusiastic. It wasn’t difficult to see that this meant more to Galo than just getting a new bed, it was a way to put his foot down and regain some sense of clarity. If a new bed would cleanse him of some of the nightmares, then they’d get a new bed. Simple. “Let’s do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hours later they were already huddled around Galo’s desktop that sat on a desk in the corner of the bedroom. Lio was sitting comfortably in the office chair with Galo draped over his lap pointing excitedly at the screen whenever Lio scrolled past a frame he liked. They’d decided to use this opportunity to get a bigger bed, whilst Galo’s small double had comfortably fit them both, neither of them were going to turn their heads up at the idea of even more space. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio decided it was useless to point out that they could get the biggest bed on Earth and they’d still sleep tangled together in the middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, how about these for new sheets?” Galo held his phone up to Lio’s face excitedly, laughing at the unamused look he got in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the last time, I’m from Detroit!” He groaned, batting playfully at Galo’s arm. The picture on his phone displayed a set of union flag sheets, a joke that had started on a drunken night with the two of them along with Meis and Gueira. Honestly he couldn’t remember </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>they decided he would be a British McDonald’s manager, or why they were imagining themselves in a weirdly specific McDonald’s scenario in the first place, but the joke had stuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woteva yew say, luv,” Galo said in a terrible mimicry of a southern English accent. Lio may not actually be British but he had ears and enough experience with the accent via terrible tv dramas to know Galo sucked at doing it justice. That’s what made it so funny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop... you know I can’t… I can’t handle when you do the accent…” he cried between uncontrollable bursts of laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wot abowt it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop… I can’t breathe,” tears of laughter streamed down his cheeks as he tried to cover Galo’s mouth with his hands to stop him from continuing. His sides hurt from how much he was laughing </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, babe,” Galo chuckled, not sounding even the slightest bit apologetic. He rubbed his back soothingly as Lio caught his breath and wiped away the tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually they managed to settle on a kingsize frame they both liked as well as some new sheets, none of which bore any British references. It had taken them longer than expected but regardless they ended their search satisfied and eager to replace their creaky old bed with a little bit of luxury. Their overworked states left them with a lot of aching bones, a new mattress to melt into was the closest either of them had really gotten to self-care in a long time. Now, they just had to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two weeks later, the box turned up at their building and after a heated struggle to get it to their apartment door, it was finally deposited in their bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo had already dismantled the bed that morning whilst Lio was finishing some paperwork so all they had to do was get to work building it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second the box was opened, the instructions were tossed to the side. Having cited his experience helping Lucia with mech maintenance and his affinity for crafting small matoi replicas, Galo had confidently stated that building furniture could barely be any different. On the other hand, Lio had spent years on the run and found creative ways to use whatever they had available to create makeshift beds for the burnish children before. Between the two of them how hard could building an actual bed be?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As it turned out, it was ridiculously hard. Not that Lio was ready to admit that out loud, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear they’ve sent us the wrong parts. Why else would nothing line up?” He asked, frustrated. They’d been trying to build the damn thing for </span>
  <em>
    <span>hours</span>
  </em>
  <span> and nothing was working. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not doing it right, this goes here,” Galo grabbed one of the pieces from his hands and tried slotting it into the hunk of wood that they’d deduced was supposed to be the headboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already tried that, it went lopsided!” </span>
</p><p>“Stupid bed, who’s idea was this again?” Galo groaned, flopping onto his back and yelping when he fell on a stray wooden bolt.</p><p>
  <span>“Yours,” he deadpanned. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten your ‘bad energy’ spiel. I’ll show you bad energy if we don’t figure this goddamn bed out in the next 5 minutes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re like, 5’2”, how much bad energy could you possibly unleash on me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Want to find out?” Lio challenged playfully, jokingly waving around a stray slat as though he was once again wielding his burnish sword.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not, I’ll make us some coffee.” Galo stood up with a groan as his back popped and ruffled Lio’s hair. “Maybe a break will help me crack the magic bed puzzle.” He pressed a gentle kiss to his head and rubbed his shoulders before walking out the bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, sweetheart,” he called and chuckled when Galo spun around to wave finger guns at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Left alone, Lio took the opportunity to call for backup support. Not that he and Galo couldn’t figure this out on their own because </span>
  <em>
    <span>they could</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he just missed his friends. If they were secretly bed building hobbyists who could give a few pointers, well, that was just a bonus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey boss, what’s up?” Gueira greeted, his face far too close to the screen leaving only his eyes and the top of his nose in shot. Luckily, Meis soon grabbed the phone out of his hand and adjusted it so that they could both be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need another pair of eyes,” he said, providing little explanation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you’ve got two pairs now, what do you need us to look at?” Meis asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He planned the camera to the mess of wooden slabs and bolts that were scattered across their bedroom floor. None of it assembled, none of it organised. Just one impossible mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know where any of this goes, Galo and I can’t figure it out,” he said bluntly, scowling when the couple on the other end of the line started to hold back clear signs of laughter. Just because it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>funny didn’t mean they got to laugh at their bed situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... have you checked the instructions,” Gueira snorted, hiding his face in Meis’ shoulder as his own shook with laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How dare you suggest that Galo and I need </span>
  <em>
    <span>instructions </span>
  </em>
  <span>to build a bed. This should be easy, why do they make it so hard? A bed is literally four slabs of wood and four legs yet nothing is working.” Lio pouted, dramatically sighing as he threw himself onto his back next to the mess of bed parts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If only the bed came with something that told you how to build it,” Gueira pretended to look off wistfully into the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Lio, you guys have kinda done this to yourselves,” Meis chuckled. Great, now he was laughing too. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> need instructions! “Stop being so stubborn and just look at the instructions. Or show us and we’ll pretend to be bed building geniuses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Calling you two was a bad idea,” Lio sighed jokingly. At that moment, Galo walked back into the room holding two steaming mugs of coffee. When he realised who Lio was talking to, his face lit up but thankfully he still took notice of the burning liquid he was transporting and didn’t throw himself onto Lio to say hello.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, guys!” Galo called, carefully placing the mugs down and popping his head into the sight of the camera.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Galo!” Gueira yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gueira!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’m gonna end this before these two start talking or we’ll never get this done,” Lio huffed in amusement and gently pinched Galo’s cheek. “Bye guys, thanks for nothing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come see us soon!” Galo smiled and waved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck, boss!” They both cheered and Lio hung up with an amused huff. He threw his phone off to the side somewhere and sat up so he could sip at his coffee. If they were gonna get this done, he was gonna need all the energy he could get.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time the sun had long since set and the moon was high in the sky, Lio had given up.</span>
</p><p>“Galo if you so much as breathe on this bed you’re sleeping on the couch,” Lio dragged his hands down his face in frustration. </p><p>
  <span>“Mmhm, and where are you gonna sleep? On the floor next to a half built bed?” Galo asked because he was a smartass when he wanted to be. Not that Lio didn’t love it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thin ice, Thymos,” Lio challenged with a playful smirk painting his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take my chances but if you ask nicely I </span>
  <em>
    <span>might </span>
  </em>
  <span>let you use me as a human pillow.” Galo pushed himself off the floor and grabbed Lio’s hands to pull him up with him. He went willingly, letting himself overbalance so he could fall into Galo’s hold tiredly. Ironically, the bed had sorely deprived him of sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Considering the fact that their bed was a mess of parts on their bedroom floor, Lio figured he didn’t really have any other options. Well, he could always call Meis and Gueira over tomorrow… then lock them in the bedroom with the bed frame as payback. If they </span>
  <em>
    <span>insisted </span>
  </em>
  <span>the instructions would be so helpful, he was sure they could manage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What else were friends for?<br/>
</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>A few days and one built bed later, Galo came home to a surprisingly busy apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew Lio was planning to come home early that day, he didn’t know that Meis and Gueira were going to be joining him. It was a pleasant surprise after a day with his friends at Burning Rescue, it felt full circle to also see his favourite burnish couple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was less pleasant, however, was how tired and somber they looked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome home, sweetheart. Was work okay?” Lio asked, though he didn’t take his eyes off of the page in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo stood behind where he was sitting and leaned down to press a quick kiss to his temple, rubbing his biceps soothingly. “It was okay, nothing major so I mostly just helped Aina clean the jet.” Looking over the table, he noticed that the trio were writing something and considering the number of scrunched up pages, whatever it was had been causing them some problems. “What’s all of this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Witness statements, An needs them by tomorrow morning,” Gueira explained, holding up a fist to greet Galo which he gladly bumped. Their close friendship had come as a surprise to both of them but he was grateful that he’d been able to gain the trust of Lio’s two most trusted friends. Even if his and Gueira’s antics drove Lio and Meis mad sometimes. But hey, that was just part of the fun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to write about things like motives and describe what happened when we were imprisoned.” Meis buried a hand into his hair which had been tied into a messy bun, groaning as he furiously scribbled something out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'm guessing it’s not going too well.” Galo sympathised with them, he couldn’t imagine the difficulty it would take to put years of unimaginable pain into writing. He supposed he hadn’t necessarily been ruled out of writing one himself. So far the trial hadn’t induced any need for it though, and he hoped it stayed that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, the whole motive and purposefully being arrested part was easy,” Gueira huffed, “we’re trying to describe the Parnassus part…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I see,” he whispered, the weight of past memories hanging heavily in his mind. He hadn’t been strapped into it though. Gueira and Meis had experienced being used as human power cells and Lio had been strapped to the damned thing using barbed wire. As much as it hurt Galo to acknowledge it, he knew it hurt them ten times more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Quietly, Galo changed out of his work uniform and replaced the trio’s empty mugs with fresh cups of coffee. He picked up all of the crumpled pieces of paper and threw them in the trash to help clean up their work area. When he was satisfied that they had a more productive space to work with, he turned to retreat to the bedroom to give them some privacy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, Lio grabbed his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mere, I missed you,” he murmured, taking his eyes away from the paper to meet Galo’s gaze. He looked so tired and who was Galo to deny him of such a request. So, he let Lio pull him into his lap and settled comfortably across those strong thighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took hours of silent writing and small, hushed conversations until all of them were finally content with what they’d written. They’d managed to fill pages upon pages with solid text, documenting every significant detail of their experience. By the time they could finally put down their pens, they didn’t have the energy to hang out and talk as a group to take their minds off of the memories they’d brought back to the surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, with the sun beginning to set on another day, they packed up their papers and promised to meet them at Burning Rescue the next morning.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>After they’d said goodbye to Gueira and Meis, the couple decided to spend the evening relaxing on the sofa. The tv was simply providing them with background noise as they took the time to engage in their typical de-stressing activities. Lio sat on one end of the sofa playing animal crossing, terraforming was a far cry from what he’d usually consider calming and Galo didn’t quite understand why he found something that had him cursing every two minutes a relaxing experience but, hey, the work paid off… until he decided to change it again two days later. Galo, on the other hand, was resting against the opposite arm with his legs in Lio’s lap, crocheting a small baby blanket for one of the pregnant ex-burnish.</span>
</p><p>“Turning to news about the trial of Kray Foresight, details emerging from the courtroom have revealed that Galo Thymos, widely praised for his role in preventing the potential destruction of the Earth under Mr Foresight’s Parnassus project, had been fostered by Mr Foresight after losing his parents in a house fire. We have Thelma Mex reporting the reaction from the public.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them spoke, hell Lio didn’t even think they were breathing. Nobody had planned for this, this news story was supposed to be about the burnish. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They’d been played.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio’s ability to think rationally truly went out the window when the screen changed to show a journalist stood outside the Promepolis High Court. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thelma Mex</span>
  </em>
  <span>. A familiar face to Lio as a notorious anti-burnish and, if hearsay was to be believed, a stubborn supporter of Kray. </span>
</p><p>She was on the list of Parnassus evacuees.</p><p>“Yes, it goes without saying that many were shocked to find out how closely linked Mr Thymos and Mr Foresight were long before his crimes began. Questions are now being raised as to whether Mr Thymos was complicit in Mr Foresight’s plans and many are sceptical that he was truly unaware of the crimes that were being committed against the Burnish and the impending destruction of the Earth during the Parnassus experiments. Whilst the prosecution made it clear that Mr Thymos stands by his previous statements that he was not involved, nor was he aware of what Mr Foresight was up to, the public are beginning to wonder if their revered hero was maybe a bystander to evil all along. Back to you.” If Lio could punch the condescending tone from her voice from through the screen he would. </p><p>The tv screen flickered to black. Silent.</p><p>Lio turned to see Galo gripping the remote tightly, his hands shaking with his face distraught and unmoving. Wordlessly, Lio eased the remote out of his hands and held them tightly to stop the shaking, his anger melting away from his bones as he instead focussed on comforting his boyfriend. This time, it was going to take more than just a long cuddle and scalp scratches to heal the aching bruise on Galo’s heart. He’d never seen him look so lost before.</p><p>
  <span>A phone rang. Lio didn’t know if it was his, Galo’s or both but neither of them were paying attention. Even as the rings refused to cease and text chimes echoed the couple barely flinched. Neither of them so much as turned to look at who was trying to contact them. Who </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> was probably an easier question to ask anyway.</span>
</p><p>It didn’t matter, they were all going to voicemail.</p><p>Lio didn’t know what to do. Galo wasn’t necessarily visibly upset but if anything that was more worrying than him breaking into tears. He was just sitting there, eyes glazed over and unfocused. Galo was physically present but his mind was worlds away and it broke Lio’s heart to see him so hurt. He’d only seen this happen a handful of times, where Galo got so overwhelmed that he barely moved and because of it he was far from being an expert at helping him through it. It didn’t help that Galo didn’t tend to remember blanking.</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, after a painfully long fifteen minutes of sitting holding his hands and talking quietly to him, making sure to call his name to test his response, Galo started to become more responsive. His hands were able to grip onto Lio’s and gradually he began to answer Lio’s calls and answer meaningless questions. Now, he just seemed numb. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was times like these where he wished, for Galo’s sake, that the frozen lake was still there. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The lake.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you ride?” Lio blurted, kicking himself internally for his lack of tact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Galo blinked, confused. “Yeah, I think so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, put a coat on, it’s cold. I’m driving.” Lio threw on his leather jacket and decided against battling with his boots, instead slipping into a pair of sneakers. He turned to look behind him and was reassured by the sight of Galo calmly, if not absentmindedly, pulling on his own coat and shoes. Good. That was a good start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now he just needed to keep a clear head to get them to the lake. For Galo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were both in their helmets and secure on the bike, Lio wasted no time in kicking away and speeding off. He rarely missed his time as a fugitive but right now he’d have appreciated the ability to break a few speeding laws without it becoming a scandal. Things were bad enough, he wasn’t about to add another shitty situation to the growing pile by getting a speeding ticket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made him nervous that he couldn’t see Galo but the strong grip that remained around his waist was enough to keep his head level. This was about helping Galo, he had to focus on that. God he hoped this was a good idea. He knew this place was personal to Galo and usually he visited alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Galo wanted to be left alone when they arrived, then that was what he’d do. Focus, Fotia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually he hit the end of the road and slowed the bike to carefully navigate his way along the winding trail through the woods. He cut the engine a few meters away from the lake and kicked down the stand. For a while, neither of them spoke and Galo made no move to unwrap his arms from Lio’s middle. Every breath echoed through the silence. Now they were here, Lio wasn’t sure what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Startled, Lio whipped his head around to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” his face melted at the look of appreciation on Galo’s face. His eyes were still distant, but his smile was sincere. “I can stay here or go drive around for a while and come pick you up later?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, you can stay,” he whispered, squeezing Lio’s waist. “Could you sit on the bike for a few minutes though? I need a moment.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, just tell me when you’re ready. There’s no pressure, take as much time as you need.” Lio gently cupped his cheek and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be right here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a firm nod Galo hopped off the bike and walked slowly towards the edge of the lake. Out of respect for his privacy, Lio swung a leg over the seat and faced away. It was dark out in the wooded area of the city but the stars in the sky alongside the gleam of the moon provided an ambiance that was unparalleled. Swinging his legs and staring at the sky, Lio wondered helplessly if the moon could grant his wishes if he asked kindly enough. The thought made him smile… maybe in another world. In this one, however, they were on their own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only they weren’t. He thought of all the people who had been there for both Galo and himself. Burning Rescue were always willing to lend them an ear, Meis and Gueira would turn up no matter the time and all of the ex-burnish were nothing but welcoming. So many people had extended a hand out towards them and they tried their hardest to return the gesture. It filled him with the hope he needed to truly convince himself that no matter how rough the road ahead looked, they would be fine. A few extra scrapes? Sure, but nothing was ever going to dampen their spirit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignorant reporters couldn’t tear their family apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand tapping his shoulder pulled him away from his reflection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come join me?” Galo asked sweetly. The wrinkle in his brow had softened and the tension in his cheeks had melted into a tired smile. He was so clearly exhausted but he made no indication that he was ready to leave. So, Lio wordlessly nodded his head and took the offered hand. The way his hand felt in Galo’s was euphoric, it was like coming home every time their fingers intertwined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strolling over to the edge of the lake, Lio followed Galo’s lead and sat down next to him just short of where the water lapped at the dirt. He could hear nothing but the rhythmic trickle of water and the soft rustling of the trees in the breeze. Maybe it was colder than Lio realised but the steady warmth of the man next to him pushed the sensation far from his mind. It was peaceful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is hard,” Galo said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is,” he hummed in response, threading a hand into Galo’s hair. Soothingly he scratched his nails across his scalp, essentially petting him; he had always thought he was like a big puppy sometimes. “We’re gonna get through this though. I can’t promise that we won’t have days like these again but I’m always going to be here to hold your hand and help you work through the hurt. No matter what we’re a family, and so are the others.”</span>
</p><p>“How many times are we gonna have to ‘get through’ huge life changing events? For once Lio I just wanna feel like I have some control over my life!” Galo huffed in frustration. “It’s been non-stop since all of this ended. Fuck, you’ve been dealing with this almost your whole life… Some days I just want to grab you and drive as far away from here as possible.”</p><p>
  <span>“Galo…” Lio laughed breathlessly, heart swelling in both pain and love. “You know that would never work, you’d get halfway up the highway and worry that you were missing an emergency… and I’d yell at you for forgetting my paperwork.” He hugged him tighter and hummed when Galo nosed at his temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We work too much,” Galo sighed but he smiled at the thought of Lio pouting over his precious stack of papers.</span>
</p><p>“Maybe we do,” he said, turning to Galo with a new resolve. “You know what? Why don’t we take control of the things we can, starting with our workloads. I know Ignis has been pushing for you to cut your hours back down to your contract and I could start sharing more responsibilities with the burnish who’ve insisted they can handle some of the proposals. I think it’ll be good for us to accept the help people are offering to us, they have a point. We need more time to ourselves.”</p><p>It was an understatement to say they were overworked, hell suggesting that they cut their hours only meant working the regular contracted hours of a typical full-time employee. Both of them knew they were using their jobs as an unhealthy way of coping with the dramatic twists and turns their lives had taken. Lio had accepted that  they would need to take those first steps towards normality eventually and now they needed it more than ever. </p><p>“More time with you sounds pretty good,” Galo said wistfully and kissed his cheek. “I’ll call Ignis in the morning but I can’t make any promises that I won’t insist he puts me on call.”</p><p>“Let’s start with the reduced hours and work on the self-inflicted obligation to attend every emergency possible later. We can work up to that, we both know I’ll be bothering Meis and Gueira for updates,” he laughed. </p><p>
  <span>“You make it sound like we’re gonna be more annoying with less work… poor guys, they don’t know what’s coming to them.” Galo started chuckling along with him and Lio could only imagine the unimpressed faces of his friends when he called them for the third time in one day to ask if they’d remembered to sign everything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll just be happy we’re at least worrying from home and not falling asleep in a locker…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHO TOLD YOU?” Galo yelled, his expression one of complete betrayal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only Remi saw me though!” Clearly, something clicked very quickly. “Wow, I never took him for a traitor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, you fall asleep in a locker and you face the consequences. I’m just glad you got some sleep.” Lio had seen the photos, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>look pretty peaceful. He was even drooling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you… I think?” Galo laughed and nudged his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahead of them the moon began to reach its peak in the sky. It was getting late and Lio knew they needed to drive home soon if they wanted to avoid catching colds. If they were going to follow through on their resolve to create healthier work schedules, getting sick wasn’t going to help the process. Neither of them wanted to reduce their hours to zero because they forgot it was a bad idea to sit by a lake for hours at night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Galo.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo lifted his head from his shoulder and bumped their heads together. With a backdrop of shimmering stars and glimmering water they both began to smile, infatuated gazes sparkling in the moonlight. Nothing could shake them from this moment. Their heads were clear and once again they’d found their feet in a situation that felt helpless, hands intertwined with a secure grip in a silent promise to support one another.  No matter how cold the wind was they were warm and secure in each other’s hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Lio. More than words could ever explain.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When their lips met in a soft kiss, the world stood still. He could’ve sworn the stars shone even brighter and danced with every gentle caress. It was chaste and slow, a vow of their love and devotion sealed in their affection as they lost themselves in the sensation. The kiss was warm, lighting the fire that refused to go out in Lio’s soul so long as he had Galo there to keep fanning the flames. Perfection. Lio wished they could stay in this moment forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo cupped his cheek and gave him one final kiss to his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go home.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was an emotional rollercoaster to write and boy am I glad it’s finally finished. A lot of tears were shed this time but also a lot of important conversations happened and they’re continuing to learn how to move on and find their new normal. They’re having a hard time but they’re making it work... even if they suck at building furniture.</p><p>I love imagining Galo crocheting, mostly because I really miss it and the scene of him making the baby blanket is completely inspired by my mother who is always crocheting baby blankets and hats for her pregnant coworkers. I thought it was just such a Galo trait I couldn’t leave it out!</p><p>Mcgueira has taken over my life and I fully blame discord and @roseleaf for this. If you haven’t seen her dating sim yet, it’s gonna win game of the year trust me. Please be nice to him though, he’s just here to have a good time and vape in the freezer. </p><p>Next time will be the light at the end of the tunnel for these two, it will probably take a few weeks to write. I really pour my soul into writing these chapters, I hope you enjoy reading them!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I had this concept floating around in my head for weeks and now i finally have time to write it. As much as this is going to discuss Kray going to trial, my goal here is to strike a healthy balance between the serious stuff and the domesticity these boys deserve.  And a nap. They really need a nap.</p><p>Any feedback/ comments are really appreciated, I hope you enjoy my work! </p><p>Come say hi on Twitter @cosmicfotia!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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